Tunnel lining form



March 25, 1952 P' I I 2,590,683

v TUNNEL LINING FORM Filed Feb. 21. 1949 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. E. CLAPPMarch 25, 1952 TUNNEL LINING FORM 3 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Filed Feb. 21. 1949,:

attorney;

Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STAT E S PATE NT F F I C E TUNNEL. .LININGFORM" Ralph' EI Clapp, Spokane,- Wash.

Application February 21, 1949; Serial No. 77,533

This invention relates; to lining tunnels: with; concreteheld' inzplace'by improved forms while drying and setting.

At the presenfitime'it-iscustomaryto line tum nels'witl'i concretev but'due'.to the methodsiused" and" the 'formsemployed it is notipossible'.to use the tunnels while' they are being, lined: or; por tions of "alining; replaced;

An. object of the invention is to provide" an improved iarch formingform so constructed that. it' may be easily erectedand firmly supportedupontfraines anchored'to linings previously appliedto opposite'sidewalls of "atunnel;

Anotherobject of the invention is toprovidean arch-forming form which isbraced. against" collapsinggandgmay serve as a carrier'for scaffold.boards for use by workmen during" application of concreteto form thearchof a' tunnel.

Another object'of the invention is .to' provide improved arch-formswhich are strong and not liable to be broken by; the weight of concreteapplied to thewalls and" the arch" or top of a" tunnel;

The inventionis illustrated: in the accompany ing drawings wherein:

Fig; lisv a transverse sectionalview 'of walllinings formed with forms,of the; improved: con..- struction.

Fig." 21" is a transverse sectional view showing an arch-forming form'of "theiinproved 'construc tion'sup'ported'in'position forusez' Fig; 3isa fragmentary sectional view-upon an" enlarged scale showing the,manner in which-sides of the; archeformingiorm are connected withsupporting frames:

Fig. 4 is" a fragmentary view in" elevation of a wall-forming form;braces fdr thesamei' being?" insection;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken"v verticallythroughFigure 2'."

The tunnelJ illustrated in the accompanying drawings" represents" arailroadtunnel through which a singlsrtrack- 2f has been'laldupoma' roadbed: 3: butiit-will: be u-n'derstood that "other specific types of fftunnels 'tmay, 'be'lined' by. use of the improved forms-and" inaccordance with theimprovedmethodi A fOOtil'lgOFll'hSEiW of concreteislaid along 'opnosite sides of "the bottomi of the Ti tunnel and each hasailedge r; shoulder 5;" the" upperfacerofthe base being formed with alongitudlnally extending; groove f or" key way 7 6: Afterthe footingsorJbaSe-S haVe diiedQand hard; ened 'wall 'forms Pare erected. upon boards8 laid along; the; shoulders, and since; these wall? forms? areprovided'with rollers 9 they may be easily" 1' Claiim- (Cl. 25131. 5)

' shifted'along the bases longitudinally of the tunnel from one place toanother as the walls. of the tunnel are lined with concrete. Before thewall forms are set up in spaced relation to the walls of the tunnel asuitable number of holes lllareformed'in the Walls and'into these holesare driven lead fillers l I which receive anchoring. The bolts are ofsuch length that'they bolts. l2." extendlthrough the wall liners l3formed of concrete poured into spaces between the forms and the sidewalls of the tunnel. The forms are'se curedlto the anchor bolts in orderto maintain themin a perpendicular, position and after the concrete hasset the forms are detached from the boltslandlshifted along the footingsto an ad vanced position where another. section of wall lining isformed. Portions of the concrete form. ribs l twhich fit into the keyways or grooves 6 andprevent the liner from shifting transversely, of'thefootings and upper edge faces of the liners are formed with groovesor key ways l5. While thenewly poured concrete issetting frames I6 areerected upon the ledges of the footings and.

anchored to the upper anchor bolts I2. A transversely arcuatearch-forming form I1 is then erected upon the frames and space betweenthis form and the arch or top of the tunnel filled with concrete whichis supported by the arch form untillithas set and hardened to form thearch liner. I8 which has its side edge faces formed with tongues. l9fitting into the grooves l5 of the wall liners; to establishinterfitting engagement between sides of the arch liner andupper ends ofIt will thus be seen that afterarch form and each arch section formedwhile wall liner sectionsin' advance of it are being:

poured. and allowed to set. This saves timejin' the formation of acomplete liner. for'a'tunnel and asthe forms do not obstruct the tunnelI trainsyvehicles; and other trafiic'may haveuse'.

shoulder. 5to the junction of a sidewall of the tunnel to theadjoiningside orthe arch of Ithea tunneL; The length of each wall formis sufficient.

to allowa liner section [3 of appreciable length 3 to be formed but alsoof such length that the form may be conveniently shifted to an advancedposition after a liner section has dried. Studdings 20 extend verticallyin transverse spaced relation to each other and have their ends securedto upper plate 2I and lower sill 22. To the studdings and the timbersare secured sheets of plywood or other material to form a facing 23disposed in confronting relation to the wall of the tunnel so that whenconcrete is poured into space between the tunnel wall and the wall formand allowed to .dry and set the wall lining I3 formed thereby will havea smooth surface. Timbers 24 are secured against the studdings andextend longitudinally of the form in vertically spaced relation to eachother and in downwardly spaced relation to the lowest,timber is mounteda stringer or rail 25 of less thickness than the timbers 24. The timbers24 are bored to form a plurality of openings 26 which are spaced fromeach other longitudinally of the timbers, and through each openingpasses a bolt or rod 21 having its inner end portion formed with athreaded socket 28 to receive a companion one of the anchor bolts I2 andits outer end portion threaded to receive a nut 29. These bolts are ofthe same construction as the bolts shown in Figure 3 for securing theframes I6, it being understood that bolts of modifiedconstruction may beused provided they are adapted for threaded connection with the outerends of the anchor bolts I2. Braces 30 and 3| extend from the lower sill22 and the rail 25 to a beam or stringer 32, and cooperate with eachother to form braces 33, the length of the braces being such that thestringer may have contact with ends of the ties 34 of the track 2. Afterthe concrete has set the bolts 21 are removed and also the braces 33 anda temporary brace 35 indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1 applied'sothat the temporary braces which rest upon the rails 36 of the track willsupport the forms upright while they are being moved upon the rollers 9along the boards 8 to an advanced position in the tunnel where they willbe connected with other anchoring bolts projecting from the walls of thetunnel and concrete poured to form additional lining sections.

The frames I6 which support the arch form I1are mounted upon the boards8 after the wall forms have been shifted forwardly. Each of these frameshas vertically disposed studdings 38 having their upper ends secured toa stringer 39 and their lower ends secured to a sill 40. The studdingsare braced by diagonally extending braces M and against upper endportions of the studdings is secured a beam 42 through which additionalbolts 21 pass for engagement with outer ends of the upper ones of theanchoring bolts I2. Blocks 43 and companion wedges 44 upon which theframe rests support the frame at such a distance above the board 8 thatthe bolts may be readily screwed into engagement with the anchoringbolts and also allow the bolts to be easily removed when the frames areto be taken down or shifted forwardly to advanced positions. The frameswill therefore be securely held upright and in spaced relation to theexposed surfaces of the wall linings I3. The arch-forming form I1 whichis supported upon the frames has a plurality of bridges or arches 45having ribs or sections 46 nailed in staggered and side by side relationto each other, inner or upper ones of these sections being spaced fromeach other and connected by a key-section 41. Flanks 48 claimed is:

are secured to the bridges to form a solid skin for the arch form. Thespace 49 is closed by applying the key-section 41 or plank. A number ofblocks 50 are applied between the arch center and ceiling of the tunnelto prevent weight of the concrete from bulging the bridges and the skinout of a true arcuate shape transversely of the tunnel. The thickness ofthe planks is the same as the space between the frames I6 and the walllinings I3 and the upper ends of these spaces will therefore be closedand leakage of concrete from the arch form prevented. It will thus beseen that when the lining for the arch of the bridge sections projectinwardly of the arch form and with these'brackets are engaged removablerods 56 connected by a turn buckle 51. The rods break the form from theset conorete before moving them to the next section to be poured.U-shaped hanger brackets 58 extend downwardly from side portions of thebridges and support timbers 59 which extend longitudinally of the tunneland beyond the end of the arch form and constitute supports for'scaifoldplanks 60 upon which workmen may stand while filling space between the'arch form and the top of the tunnel.

Concrete is applied from the end of the arch form through pipes and isevenly filled on each side of the form to maintain an equal pressure onthe form sides. A bulkhead is applied to the 40 ;,open end of the archform to contain the concrete in the proper area. When thisspace isnearly filled with concrete, the weight thereof causes the form tosettle slightly whereupon blocks 50 may be easily removed, and thebalance of the space filled with concrete.

After the cementhas set, turnbuckle 51 is actuated to draw rods 56inwardly thus pulling the sides of arch I1 free from the set concrete.Wedges 44 and blocking 43 are then removed allowing the frames and archto lower onto rollers or dollies whereupon it may be moved to the nextsection to be poured, and again raised into position. I

When the cement work is entirely finished. keysection 41 is removed andthe horizontal ribs in the top center of the arch unbolted allowing thearch form to be lowered in two sections providing for ease in handlingwhile transporting to another tunnel job.

Having thus described the invention, what is planking extendinglongitudinally of the forms and secured against outer edge faces of saidbridges for supporting concrete in space between 8 the form and the archof the tunnel, U-shaped hangers depending from said bridges in upwardlyand inwardly spaced relation to their ends, beams extendinglongitudinally of said form and passed downwardly through and therebysupported by 5 said hangers, scaffold boards extending transversely ofthe form and having opposite ends resting upon and supported by saidbeams, brackets mounted horizontally in straddling relation to endportions of said bridges and having ends projecting horizontallytherefrom inwardly of the form, and rods extending transversely acrossthe form between ends of said bridges and having hooks at their endsengaged with the projecting ends of said brackets, and turnbucklesthreaded upon inner ends of said rods for adjusting the rodslongitudinally and holding their hooks in firm engagement with thebrackets.

RALPH E. CLAPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent! UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 982,241 Burk Jan.24, 1911 1,156,830 Williams et a1 Oct. 12, 1915 1,212,523 Loxterman Jan.16, 1917 1,277,186 Brynoldt Aug. 27, 1918 1,304,945 Davidson May 27,1919 1,631,839 Terry June 7, 1927 1,778,099 Webb Oct. 14, 1930 1,867,837Jackson July 19, 1932 2,306,503 Sarosdy Dec. 29, 1942

